Thursday, 28 February 2013

The
March Violets have revealed the final track list for their eagerly
awaited forthcoming album and follow-up to 2011's 'Love Will Kill
You' EP.

Speaking
on the band's pledge campaign page, Si Denbigh had this to say:

“We
wanted to have a definitive list that we wouldn’t have to change
for vinyl. I’m a bit old school about Albums, I like it to play as
the artist intended and don’t want to jump about or listen to
‘bonus tracks’ stuck on the end of a classic Album. Luckily
modern playlisting allows those of you who like to pick and mix to
listen how you like. Win Win.“It
gets better… as this Album has gradually mutated into what will
have to be a double LP if it gets on to vinyl, I have added another
track to make sense of the timing per side. We are now up to 16,
Hurrah!”

The
track list is a s follows:

1.
Made Glorious

2.
Billion3

3.
A Room With No View

4.
Of Roses

5.
Tokyo Flow

6.Ramming
Speed

7.
A Little Punk Thing

8.
Dandelion King

9.
2024

10.
London's Drowning

11.
We Are All Gods II

12.
Road Of Bones

13.
Discoboy Must Die

14.
Dress 4 U

15.
Bottle Of Poison

16.
My Demons

For
more information on The March Violets and to keep up-to-date with the
latest on their forthcoming album, please visit their official website.

Wednesday, 27 February 2013

After
perhaps the greatest creative period in the bands history that has
seen a “Best Of” compilation, a tonne of EPs and an album in the
form of of the critically acclaimed 'Santa Muerte' released in the
space of five years, comes the bands final EP, 'Geisha'. As with its
predecessor 'Piranha', the EP is centred around a rebooted and
re-recorded track from the band's earlier years. Keeping very much
with the “Death Electro” style that has served them so well over
the past half-decade, the classic songs 'Geisha Deconstruct' and
'Fight The Saucermen' get a modern makeover and serve as a fitting
parting shot as mastermind Ross Tregenza pulls the plug on the
project once more.

The
band's early fun and often cheesy style is nowhere to be found as the
now rechristened 'Geisha' and 'Revenge Of The Saucermen' get a more
subtle and darker sound that the band used to great effect on songs
such as 'Nevada Dawn' and 'Reverse Engineer My Heart' in recent
years, but without loosing the dance appeal of the original
recordings. Also included are two experimental but equally catchy
remixes of the title track by Sniper as well as Goteki's own
Tregenza. Three alternative versions in the form of an instrumental
take, extended mix and the original version remastered add more
variety to things as well.

It
has been very hard to fault the recent Goteki output, even their
reworked classic material has been been done exceedingly well, and
the 'Geisha' EP is no different. The EP has crammed seven tracks in,
six of which are different versions of the same song. Yet it is the
strength of the Goteki style that sees no two versions sound the
same, and therefore the EP saves itself from being repetitive.

It
is a shame that Goteki's final output features no new material in
either a finished or even a demo version. But nonetheless, the past
five years have secured the band's legacy in the electronic scene,
and this final EP feels like a suitable end to a great band.

Rising
from the ashes of Katzenjammer Kabarett, Paris' new electro-punk
cabaret quintet, KatzKab have some exciting shoes to fill. Formed
around the duo of Klishee
(Piano/Synths) and Mr Guillotine (Bass Guitar),
the new project is just as diverse as its predecessor, but gets a
whole new vibe courtesy of new members Vik
B. (Vocals) and Mr. Monsterhead (Guitar).
The band retains the iconoclastic genre-hopping sound and Dadaist
mentality yet has a playful pop appeal in the vein of The B52s,
Lena Lovich and Soft Cell.

From
the get go the band set out to challenge the listener. The quirky
vocal style of Vik. B, which can only rightly be compared to Katie
Pierson of The B52s, underpins a sound that combines jazzy basslines
with gypsy violins, danceable synths, deathrock embellishments and
post-punk guitars. Songs like 'Miracle', 'Harold And The Body',
'Let's Burn The Rich', 'Voodoo Catwalk' and 'Lithopedion Boy' all
show off an incredibly diverse range that has a strong dance appeal.
Despite it's often complicated construction the songs all make good
use of strutting beats, memorable melodies and sing-a-long lyrics
which will see this play well to both club and live audiences.

The
band have opted for a sharp and punchy attack that sees the songs
weigh in at around three-to-four minutes in length, and with only
eleven songs on the album it does feel like a “love you and leave
you experience”. However the one minute 'Interlude' does feel a
little superfluous as it blends itself into the intro to 'Lithopedion
Boy'.

In
terms of production this is a great example of how to keep a band's
pop appeal without dulling their experimental edginess. There is no
set template and every song feels like it has been constructed to
individual merit rather than to some set overall plan, which is very
refreshing to hear.

This
is a very strong début from a band looking to surpass it's
predecessor and forge ahead. KatzKab feel fresh and interesting and
with 'Objet N°1' have easily defined themselves in an ever
burgeoning scene.

Italian
cyber-metal trio Deuxvolt are set to play two UK shows this march.
The band, consisting of Olympia
(vocals), Shade (guitars) and Just (synths), will be playing the shows
in support of their latest album 'Union Of Opposites', which is
available to download absolutely free (along with their other albums)
via their official website. The band promise that “You've
never seen a Live-Show like this! Are you ready?”.
So catch them while you can.

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Electro
creeps AlterRed have announced the release of their forthcoming third
album and follow-up to the critically acclaimed 'Dollstown'. The new
album, 'The Time It Takes To Smile', will be released on 3rd
May 2013 with an official launch party on the 5th
of May at Electrowerks, London (as part of the William Control tour).

The
supporting tour will kick off at Manchester's Ruby Lounges and
includes the following dates with more to still be confirmed:

Never one to be content
with all of the awards for his soundtrack work with Atticus Ross, nor
the hotly anticipated full-length début album and tour from his How
To Destroy Angels project. Trent Reznor announced via pitchfork.com
yesterday that his first love, Nine Inch Nails, is set to return.

If this wasn't enough,
Reznor has already revealed the new touring line-up that will see
action later in 2013 and on into next year. Currently the band includes
Reznor, Eric Avery [Jane's Addiction], Adrian Belew [King Crimson],
and Josh Eustis [Telefon Tel Aviv], as well as previous NIN
collaborators Alessandro Cortini and Ilan Rubin.

Here's
what Reznor had to say:

“Nine
Inch Nails are touring this year.“I was working with
Adrian Belew on some musical ideas, which led to some discussion on
performing, which led to some beard-scratching, which (many steps
later) led to the decision to re-think the idea of what Nine Inch
Nails could be, and the idea of playing a show. Calls were made to
some friends, lots of new ideas were discussed, and a show was booked
- which led to another, which somehow led to a lot of shows.
“The band is
reinventing itself from scratch and will be comprised of Eric Avery,
Adrian Belew, Alessandro Cortini, Josh Eustis, Ilan Rubin, and me.
The first shows will begin this summer, followed by a full-on arena
tour of the US this fall, and lots of other dates worldwide to follow
through 2014.
“Lots
of details and dates to come. See you soon.”

Trent's
other project How To Destroy Angels which sees him collaborating with
his wife Mariqueen
Maandig as well as Rob Sheridan and Atticus Ross
will release their début, album 'Welcome Oblivion' on March 5th
via Colombia Records, and will be playing the following live dates:

Monday, 25 February 2013

"We recorded all our parts while sipping cappuccino and eating pizza capricciosa"

Italian born NUDE aren't your usual rock 'n' roll band. For them it really is all about the music, not Jack Daniels and groupies, and although the last album was released ten years ago they haven't lost their drive to create something people want to listen to. Frontman Tommy Box talks to Lenore about the trials of record labels and a band's desire to play live more than anything else.

IVM: Your last album was released more
than ten years ago, why did it take so long to record and release Plastic
Planet?TommyBox: We started
the album A few years ago. The band was in a static condition. We had lost our
record deal and we weren't all in the same band anymore. In fact me and the
guys were all involved in different musical projects. In the meantime, we were
waiting for a record label to help us release “Plastic Planet” because we
didn't want to sell a self-produced album; and finally My Kingdom Music came
along, and decided to publish it and save it from an obscure end!

IVM: How
has the band changed in the time and what have you all been doing in those
years?TB: The band only stopped for 5 years,
actually. We did some gigs without publishing anything. Clearly we have grown up,
our tastes have changed since then. During the time that we didn't play together, we were busy with other bands, working in the studio. For example, me
(TommyBox, vocals) and Marco Mauss (Keys), created an electro-dandy duo called
Costume and have recorded a couple of albums. One of them with an English
producer Steven Jones and a New York singer Donna Destri (Blondie, Ramones), entitled
Empire State Neon. On the other side, Fabio (guitar) with Nicolas (drums)
restarted their power-metal band Heimdall and Antonio (bass) has, strongly,
played on various hard-core bands.

IVM: Was it
difficult returning to the studio?TB: Not really! Fabio, the guitarist, has a
fantastic recording studio called Sonic Temple, with all the things a band
could ever want and need! Calmly we recorded all our parts while sipping
cappuccino and eating pizza capricciosa. The studio is in the country side, on a
hill so you have a beautiful landscape too... just at night it is a bit scary!

IVM: Do you
find the industry and scene supportive in Italy to your style of music?TB: Unfortunately the situation is not the
best! I think it's like that everywhere, with the sales crisis. Record labels
produce, exclusively, commercial music that gives safe and immediate gains.But that does not stop us, to play and realize
our music.

IVM: You
said that the band really wanted to tour abroad after recording the first
album, do you have plans to tour following Plastic Planet?TB: We hope our new album will reach the
sales of the first one ('Cities And Faces'), a work that has given us great
satisfaction, especially on the North European market. We have cancelled so
many foreign gigs in the past, due to problems inside the band. In fact, we
didn't go on a US-Mexican tour. It was organized by our Mexican label, that
released and distributed the album in the States. It caused us so many
sorrows... but we hope this time things will be different!

IVM: You
have some iconic bands listed as your influences, how do you look up to big
bands and still retain your own sound when writing music?TB: The musical influences are part of a musician's cultural baggage. The Nude experiences and tastes are metal too. We
are all great listeners of power-metal, brutal-core ... and more! even punk,
hardcore, electro and new wave. Although we feel inspired by certain groups who
have made big these styles, while composing, we don't ever try to recreate
their atmospheres. Inevitably a few chords and tunes could recall our teen
passions but doesn't the same thing happen to Lady Gaga that reminds us of Missing
Persons and Madonna or Coldplay that remind us of U2 and Modern English?

IVM: Are
you surprised at the critic's reaction to Plastic Planet or did you always know
the album was as good as they are all saying?TB: What do you think about it? Does it
sound good to you? Is there a song that grabbed your attention? I think the
album is really glamorous. It is quality rock, stylish, played with love,
spontaneous and without frills. When you listen to the CD carefully, it sounds
energetic, not-artificial, even though full of electronic sounds. This is what
I want and what people have to listen to nowadays, the right mix of rock, pop
with a dash of dance!

IVM: Finally have you begun the follow up album?TB: No, not yet ... too soon! ... all we want to
do now is promote "Plastic Planet", trying to play live as much as
possible ... would you like to let us play in your town? Visit our Facebook profile! www.facebook.com/plasticplanet2013'Plastic Planet' is available now from My Kingdom Music. Read the review here. For more info visit the bands website

Android Lust's Shikhee D’iordna has announced her first cover song since her version of Bauhaus' 'Slice Of Life' on her 1999 remix album 'Evolution'.

The cover of 'Cemetery Girls', originally by Schoolyard Heroes, is available to download now for free from the Android Lust Soundcloud page.

Here is what Shikhee had to say about the song.

“I just recorded my first cover since doing 'Slice of Life' on 'Evolution'. It's been a while. This one was picked by a Kickstarter donor as part of a reward tier. The track is 'Cemetery Girls' by Schoolyard Heroes. I gave it a rather old school industrial treatment. It's a free download from my soundcloud.”

For more information on Android Lust and the current album 'Crater Vol. 1' please visit the official website.

Friday, 22 February 2013

While Editor Sean (aka The Birthday Boy) takes the day off to celebrate getting a year older, I, once again, am in charge of this week's compendium, and it's one of the biggest yet!

We had news of albums, festivals and even radio shows from the shadows this week. Cold In Berlin announced a new single with a video and tour and Melotron announced the release date for their latest EP 'Stuck In The Mirror'. Homegrown talent 'Partly Faithful' released a free download of 'Underset' which was nice too!

More free releases, this time from ambient-electro artist Steve Roach, festival news from the almighty Wave Gotik Treffen and radio news from The gothic fantasy author Neil Gamain gave us all something to look forward to.

That about does it! Cup of tea in hand I'm going to stalk Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy until they give me an exclusive preview of 'Neverwhere' live, in my frontroom. Have a fabulous weekend and we'll see you Monday.

Thursday, 21 February 2013

This is another one of those releases that has been floating around for a while, well over a year in fact, but has only just popped up in the reviews tray. The début full length album 'The First Cold' by Belarusian trio Kaltherzig is an exercise in the kind of romantic electro-darkwave akin to the likes of Blutengel. However Kaltherzig's take is more measured and sombre sound that doesn't so much dispense with the dance beats but does downplay them somewhat.

The band fundamentally have a very pleasing sound combining haunting atmospheres with deep baritone vocals and catchy melodies. However they just don't quite have that kick to them that always seems to be hinted at but never actually materialises. This coupled with a relatively slow overall pace means that this album tends to feel quite sluggish, which is a shame as there are some genuinely strong songs here. 'Nameless Tomb', 'Funeral', 'Frigid Heart', and 'Pale Guest' all feature some brilliant melodies, pop hooks and toe-tapping beats while also managing to maintain a po-faced gothic credibility. However the most the song with the most dance floor potential is 'Inversion Of The Passion' with it's more up-tempo approach and good use of female vocals (which often feel a little mismatched on other tracks).

The instrumentation does feel a little out dated and overall the album sounds like it could have been composed in the mid-90s. Though the album's mix is perhaps the biggest culprit in dulling the band's effect. Despite the overall cold atmosphere, it doesn't really give the vocals much opportunity to really soar on the choruses and the music just feels flat and crowded throughout.

There is a lot of potential bubbling away under the surface here. A lot of the songs on 'The First Cold' are very well-written only to be ultimately constrained by a less than perfect execution. Though it is early days yet and more experience in the studio may yield a more rounded follow-up.

Everyone's favourite goth author Neil Gaiman has got together with Radio 4 to turn his fantasy story 'Neverwhere' into a radio play.

'Neverwhere' was originally commissioned as a television series by the BBC in 1996 from the British born author, who later expanded it into a novel. It tells the story of a Londoner who becomes involved in 'London Below', a more sinister side to the Underground that is not visible to everyday people.

The cast have been confirmed with James McAvoy (X-Men, Atonement) to play lead role 'Richard Mayhew'. Other big names to star include Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch, Game Of Thrones Natalie Dormer, Sophie Okonedo from Doctor Who and David Harewood of Homeland fame. Christopher Lee and Bernard Cribbins are also set to make an appearance in what will undoubtedly become a cult radio series.

Written by Dirk Maggs (the pen behind new episodes of the Hitch-hikers Guide To The Galaxy in 2003) the first instalment is due at 6pm on Saturday 16th March on Radio 4. The following five episodes will be broadcast on digital station Radio 4 Extra from Monday 18th March.

Having
been around for a decade now, the duo of Valeria Buono and Carlo
Disimone have worked hard to craft the ethereal darkwave of Dperd.
Their third release on My Kingdom Music, 'Kore', is a somewhat more
introspective follow-up to their previous album 'Io Sono Un Errore '.
The band's slow and dreamy style remains intact as does their
penchant for mixing Italian and English lyrics, but the band have
moved into a more limited and self-referential style of composition.

The
band's core sound of haunting strings and melodic guitars coupled
together with some fanciful piano melodies will still play to the
tastes of fans of This Mortal Coil, The Cocteau Twins and Lycia. But
the arrangements this time around feel more repetitive and lacking
the adventurousness of their previous recordings. Emotionally the
album is very evocative and melancholic, which should give it a
cathartic edge, but the songs never feel like there is enough power
behind them to make any sort of connection with the listener.

There
are still some genuine stand-out songs though such as 'You'll Be
Watching Me', 'Tree Song', 'Sono Qui' and 'Train Song' which all
embody the band's true capacity for interesting song writing. But
despite various flirtations with jazz, blues and orchestral styles
and the unifying strength of Buono's vocals, the album never quite
feels like it picks up, and instead just drifts on by.

In
terms of production the album is very solid. The mix is nice and
clear and all of the various instruments have a sense of space about
them that really compliments the melancholic vocals. It has a very
smooth texture about it that allows each song to effectively run into
one another. However this, coupled with the repetitive style of
drumming means that most songs struggle to assert themselves.

'Kore'
is a very safe offering from the duo. And while it does tick all the
right boxes by their own standards for what a Dperd album should be,
it does lack a sense of individuality that takes any edge off what
are some genuinely enjoyable songs.

Wednesday, 20 February 2013

Cousins Erik and Oscar are back again with their seventh aggro-tech opus 'El Útimo Minuto'. Based
around a loose concept of the last music you hear before you die, released in
December to coincide with the end of the Mayan cycle (that some morons believed
to mean they’d predicted the end of the world…).

The ingredients are pretty much all there, eleven tracks of hard
pounding electro, underlying apocalyptic synths and harsh vocals.

Granted, having Hocico written on a record is a seal of
approval that the contents are going to be good, but it’s all becoming a bit formulaic. Nothing new or innovative here. Granted, it’s difficult not to dance along
to the likes of ‘The Watcher’ or ‘Vile Whispers’ but neither of these are going
to become classics.

OK, it’s unfair to be down on an album due to not containing
classics, but moreso, in a scene dominated by the dance floor, it lacks even
more than short-lived club hits.

Nevertheless, ‘El Útimo Minuto’ is packed with abrasive
rhythms and pounding beats, the occasional spiked groove pierces through and
prods you to dance and maybe it’s not full of long-lasting anthems but is still
a competent release.

Internationally renowned ambient-electronic artist Steve Roach has released a free song named 'Today' through his bandcamp page. Here is what he had to say about it:

“Recorded live Saturday morning Feb 16, 2013. Created with my mobile live - studio. I set up for a few days in the house I grew up at in San Diego, Calif.
The house is empty now, the memories of the past meet with today.
Hope you enjoy this gift to my friends of the music.”

To get your copy or to purchase other releases by Roach, please visit his bandcamp page.

Irish Dark Ambient outfit From The Bogs Of Aughiska have released a previewl video for the song ‘Hell Complex’ featuring guest vocals by Mories [Gnaw Their Tongues], taken from their forthcoming album ‘Roots Of This Earth Within My Blood' which will be released via Human Jigsaw Records on March 18th 2013.

View the video here:

The band were also recently announced as main support for Zatrokrev’s London show, have now been added to all of Zatrokrev’s UK tour dates - the five-date run kicks off at London’s Unicorn venue on 1st March and will finish at Colchester’s The Hole In The Wall on 8th March.

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

The début EP from the
trio of Kim
Sølve [Blitzkrieg Baby, K100], Anders B [Babyflesh, Mind &
Flesh] and Lars Fredrik Frøislie [Wobbler, White Willow]
collectively known as Three Winters, is an intriguing listen. A mix
of catchy synthpop melodies and coldwave atmosphere, it is at the
same time dark and also uplifting.

The
three tracks on offer here are from the band's forthcoming
full-length album. And if these are anything to go by it will be a
very interesting experience. The band could be best summed up as a
mix between the atmospherics of The Soft Moon and the cinematic
appeal of Moroder.

The
opening song, 'Atrocities' is a pure instrumental comprised of
minimal beats, haunting synth melodies and dark, cavernous production
that blends the clinical with the catchy. The second song, 'At The
Centre Of Dystopia', is for the most part a cold and mechanical
sounding instrumental that briefly features some heavily vocoded
Kraftwerk-esque vocals. Again it is a brilliantly executed and
memorable song. The third original song, 'Aeon Surveillance' makes
good use of hanging chords for a light and uncomplicated sound that
builds on itself for a short, but sweet finale.

The
four remixes courtesy Pseen, Aymeric Thomas, Mister and Th. Tot
provide very individual re-interpretations of the source material,
but nothing that doesn't compliment the originals. Though this EP may
be filed under the “Thinking man's electro” category, Aymeric
Thomas and Th.Tot still give us a glimpse of some dance potential.

This
is a very promising EP that hints at great things to come from Three
Winters. Their minimalistic and atmospheric approach to synthpop will
be an instant his for ambient-electro, coldwave, witch house and
anyone who owns the Moroder Metropolis soundtrack. It will be very
interesting to see how this project progresses.

London-based
gothic art-rockers Partly Faithful have released a free download of
the song 'Underset' from their forthcoming full-length album 'Lazarus
Under Glass' which
will released in the UK on 29 April, 2013.

The
band recently previewed ‘Underset’ at London’s
famous 12 Bar and it is the first song to feature guitarist Anouska
Haze, who joined the band last summer.

The
band have also release a promotional video to accompany the song
featuring footage collated in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei by
young film maker-musician Anouska Haze, which can be viewed below:

You
can catch Partly Faithful live on the following dates:

23
February - Electrowerkz, Torrens Street, LONDON

9
March - The Unicorn, Camden Road, LONDON

4
April, Rattlesnake of Angel, Upper Street, LONDON

26
April - Mother Live, Old Street, LONDON (London album
launch)

3
May- Venue tbc, BLACKPOOL

4 May
- The Library, Woodhouse Lane, LEEDS

18
May - The Jericho Tavern, Walton Street, OXFORD

30
May - AAA, Kensington High Street, LONDON

For
more information on Partly Faithful and to keep up-to-date on their
forthcoming releases, please visit their official website.

Monday, 18 February 2013

German electro-pop trio Melotron have announced their forthcoming EP 'Stuck In The Mirror'
will be released on 9th March 2013, via Out Of Line. The
EP will be released as a limited edition of 1000 copies in hand
numbered Digipaks.

'Stuck In The Mirror'
will feature three brand new tracks, one remix and instrumental as
well as a remake of their classic 'Folge Mir Ins Licht' that sees the
band collaborate with soprano Lauren Francis.

Track List:

1. Stuck In The Mirror

2. Folge Mir Ins Licht
(Melotron feat. Lauren Francis)

3. Erase

4. Angst Oder Wahn

5. Stuck In The Mirror
(AndyK Remix)

6. Ohne Worte
(Instrumental)

Melotron will also be
supporting Blutengel on the following dates:

09.03.2013 Hamburg,
Markthalle

10.03.2013 Losheim,
Eisenbahnhalle

11.03.2013 Nürnberg,
Hirsch

13.03.2013
Frankfurt/M., Batschkapp

14.03.2013 Oberhausen,
Turbinenhalle

15.03.2013 Erfurt,
Gewerkschaftshaus

16.03.2013 Dresden,
Reithalle

06.04.2013 Berlin,
Huxleys

To order the 'Stuck In
The Mirror' EP please visit the Out Of Line webstore. For more
information on Melotron and their forthcoming full-length album '
Werkschau', please visit their official website.

Post-goth outfit Cold In Berlin release their new single 'Take Control' today. The song is taken from the band's critically acclaimed second album on Candlelight Records 'And Yet', and is available as a digital download as well as standard CD.

You can view the single's accompanying music video here:

The band will also be undertaking a UK tour to promote the new single starting on February 20th at The Croft in Bristol.

Coming next week are reviews for KMFDM's new album and perhaps an interview (or two), as well as all the usual news and reviews from the darker side of life. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for updates and interesting things over the weekend and we'll see you Monday!

"Very
pleased to be able to announce that Angel Bartolotta of DOPE and TEAM
CYBERGEIST is on board for at least one track that I am currently
calling 'THE CRAZIES'. Have wanted to work with Angel for a long time
and so I am VERY excited to hear the final results! As soon as we get
them in our paws I get to go in and throw down guitar, bass, and
vocals.'THE CRAZIES' is one of the tracks on my shortlist to
formally introduce everybody to BEAUTY IN THE SUFFERING music. We're
shooting for a Spring release so fingers crossed!”

Beauty
In The Suffering
recently announced that Chris
Emery of
American
Head Charge had
cut seven songs in a marathon fifteen hour drum session at Bell Labs
Recording in Norman, OK on December 6th,
2012.

Dietrich (pronounced Dee-Trick) is best known for his
co-founding and co-visionary role in the industrial-metal band
Marazene (later called Marazene
Machine)
based in Chicago.

For
more information on the band and to keep up-to-date with with
information regarding the forthcoming single, please visit their
official website.

Meinhard
has announced that the forthcoming début album 'Beyond Wonderland'
will be released on 15th March 2013 via Out Of Line.

The
album, Co-produced
by John Fryer (HIM, Nine Inch Nails),
conceptually revolves around the Lewis Carroll children's classic
Alice's Adventure In Wonderland and will be available as both digital
download and standard CD formats.

“'Beyond
Wonderland' is a sonic chameleon that changes colour just that very
moment you think you can put your finger on it all: a histrionic
dance with Medieval Rock merges into Eighties-style Synth-Pop-tunes
that shape-shift into Electro-Swing-butterflies while Art Rock and
Glam are flirting with Dark Wave.”

The mighty Uberbyte will descend upon London's legendary Slimelight on September 28th 2012 with the incendiary support of Cease2Xist, The .invalid & Digital Deformation for a night of hell raising live music showcasing some of the finest talents the UK has to offer.

You wanted new music...You wanted a rocking live show...You wanted the best...and now you have it!

Artaud Seth and his
Merciful Nuns seem to be on a relentless quest to flood the world
with their own brand of retro-chic gothic rock. The band's output
since its inception has been nothing short of prolific with a five
albums and four EPs to their name since 2010's début 'Liber 1'. Now
hot on the heels of last November's 'Goetia IV' comes the follow-up
'Goetia V'. Anyone would think the band are in danger of burning out.
However they still reserve the right to play a card or two from up
their collective sleeves.

'Goetia V' compared to
it's predecessor is a very introverted affair. Whereas the previous
saw the band in full on cult-gothic rock pomp and ceremony, 'Goetia
V' instead revolves around a more dark ambient axis. The atmosphere
is instantly recognisable as the Nuns with it's cavernous scope. But
the guitars, drums and bass take more of a back seat than usual. In
their place, the baritone voice of Seth is joined by more prominent
droning synthesizers, ethereal samples and haunting pianos. The album
does have it's rockier moments but they are for the most part more
subtle, save for 'The Maelstrom' which hangs on to it's driving
beat.
Though the album tips things in favour of the band's
progressively orientated side, long-time fans of the band will have
no trouble digesting tracks such as the excellent three-part movement
that is comprised of 'Dark Water', 'The Lake' and 'Wailing Wall' or
the nine-minute finale of 'Resting Deep Under Dark Water'. What lies
between though is still a very cohesive and catchy collection of
songs that doesn't once betray the quick turnaround between albums.

With each album the
band get more self-assured with their vision as well as their
execution. Their penchant for interesting, mystical and progressive
music has put them on the international map and, despite their rabid
release schedule, they are still finding new ways to shake-up their
sound. It will be interesting to see what other tricks the Nuns have
in store.

The Los Angeles based duo of Ed Korn and Nabil Kaseem finally make their label début with 'Soul To Soul', a hefty collection of eclectic electronica taking in industrial, ebm, punk and ethnic tinged influences to create a rich and diverse first offering. Gentleman Junkie promise a thoughtful and yet dance-friendly formula, and it seems that they have delivered this in abundance here.

The band mix strong hooks and driving dance beats as standard, but are not afraid to shake things up. For example the variety of Korn's vocal performances which range from clean and powerful pop to Kraftwerk-esque robotic. Songs such as 'Holy War', 'Killing Time', 'To Be The King' and 'The Knife' all ooze club hit potential and are at the same time ideal for solitary listening with their emotive lyrics. However the album's crowning glory is the sumptuous Depeche Mode meets Kula Shakr blend of western electronics and Indian rhythms on 'Shivoham'.

It doesn't all quite go according to plan though as seen on the opening track 'No God' which, as good as each component part is, just doesn't quite seem to sync up. Some of the samples as well don't really add that much the songs and feel somewhat superfluous as a result. Yet the sheer quality of the song-writing on 'Soul To Soul' is more than enough to see them through the infrequent shakey patches.

This is a well written, well preformed and well produced début that will sure to have a lot of people talking. There are the odd few faults but they are minor, infrequent and do not detract from what is a very strong first outing for the band. Throw in some great (and very different) remixes by top names such as Assemblage 23, Kervorkian Death Cycle, Naloiv and A Brilliant Massacre for good measure and it seems assured Gentleman Junkie will be on a lot of club play lists this year.

'Voyeur' the full-length follow up to the US electro-rock band's 2009 album 'The Vanishing' gets its long-awaited physical re-release today on Bit Riot Records.

The album was previously released as a digital download back in February 2012. The new, limited edition physical version of the album will feature the eleven original tracks as featured on the digital edition, plus four brand new remixes.

Sunday, 10 February 2013

ELASTIK'Instrumental EP' KOMA RECORDS
There are bands that purposefully cultivate an aura of mystery, to make their music more exclusive and themselves more credible. Then there are other artists who keep their presence to a minimum, ceasing to exist outside their albums, or sometimes even within them. Elastik are the latter. Without much of a social media presence, a sparse website containing just the facts and no pictures of the artist (or artists?) or even their names, there is nothing to judge them on except their music and desire to remain hidden. This elusiveness only adds to the atmosphere of their music.

'Instrumental' is six tracks of beautifully crafted horror. Classical instruments, keys and synths work in fractured harmony to create perfect gothic haunted house music. This is not the spooky cabaret stuff that seems to be everywhere at the moment, this is Danny Elfman's scarier little brother who lives under the stairs. With an orchestra.

Although three of the tracks are taken from the first two albums (Metalik and Critik) they are simply called 'Instru 1' and 'Instru 2' etc. They range from ambient, creeping, whispers in the attic to the darker, relentless footsteps of some malevolent force.While their previous releases feature some vocals and samples, this instrumental EP is no less accessible and no less effective. Torturous pleasure to listen to.